Arum ends ties with Morrison But Cayton plans monthly bouts

LAS VEGAS -- There is nothing like a devastating loss for a heavyweight contender to discover his true friends.

It seemed everyone has been dumping on Tommy Morrison after his one-round knockout at the hands of Michael Bentt in Tulsa, Okla., last week.

It was bad enough that the loss cost the Oklahoma native a potential $8 million payday with World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis at the new MGM on March 5, but now Bob Arum, president of Top Rank Inc., has severed promotional ties with Morrison.

Manager Bill Cayton, however, remains loyal. To rebuild his confidence, Cayton plans to have Morrison fighting almost every month, starting in January.

Cayton is used to such setbacks. He lost his ties to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to Don King four years ago.

In any case, the MGM is scurrying around, trying to find a replacement for Lewis-Morrison to kick off the hotel's first fight card. It might settle for a flyweight title bout between champion Michael Carbajal and Humberto Gonzalez.

Table talk

Emmanuel Steward, who is serving as trainer for both heavyweight Evander Holyfield and light-heavyweight Thomas Hearns on tonight's boxing card, has been doubling as a chef.

The two former champions disdain casino food and prefer home cooking, with Steward serving up candied yams, grits, biscuits, macaroni and lamb chops.

"You can take Holyfield to the best Italian restaurant in town and he won't eat a thing," said Steward. "You've got to stick to the diets they're used to, even if it doesn't seem all that healthy."

Big underdog

Of 36 boxing writers polled by the Las Vegas Review-Journal to pick the winner of the Riddick Bowe-Evander Holyfield rematch, 27 chose Bowe to retain his title by a knockout and seven by decision. Only an Atlanta reporter chose native son Holyfield to win -- on points.

Bad dreams

Hearns, the five-time world champion who has been idle for 18 months due to hand surgery, admits being nervous about his comeback bout against Andrew Maynard of Laurel.

"I usually dream about beautiful women," Hearns said. "But lately I've been dreaming about Maynard. I have to do something about it real quick."

Head games

Bowe on what he thinks is Holyfield's over-confidence, his heavily muscled body and on working with bodybuilder Lee Haney: